It’s not on my bucket list… (pt 1)

Evidently, I’m a follower. Please don’t jump off any bridges, because chances appear good that I may follow.

Pip Running PR Training started in April, and my MAIN GOAL was to run uninjured and maybe PR a half (since I had been injured most of last year and race times were getting longer, this seemed like a good goal). Of the twelve runners and two coaches, only 4 people were NOT training for the Portland Marathon…including me.

I had no desire to run that far, for my speed, that’s a loooong time running. And I don’t run marathons, because “I’m only half crazy”. My girlfriend Trish thinks I should though, because it’ll be fun. She’s clearly not right in the head. And then Coach Susan became an Ambassador for the marathon. And we were running long distances in our training and I felt fine. By the end of July, I’d done Ragnar and had stopped taping my Achilles. I got new shoes and my back issues were gone. And we were getting ready to run 16 miles.

And….I jumped on the bandwagon.

Then, I ran 16 miles. Seriously, that group picture below is AFTER 16 miles! I did feel like throwing up though, so there is that. After that, I drove straight to the Cedar River and scooted my butt into the water for the best ice bath around, before heading home.

And training continued, hilly training giving way to speed work. Evening runs starting earlier yet still needing headlamps (though we may not have always had them).

Before we knew it, the training day I had feared since I first saw the calendar had arrived – the 20 miler. Holy shit. And to make it scarier, the route is going to be a four leaf clover, with the center point being our coach’s house (so each 5 mile loop starts & ends there), which is in my neighborhood. At any point, I would be within walking distance of home, where I could give up.

But I didn’t, and it was amazing. I was sore, and ‘done’ by the end, but the dozen plus text and/or Facebook messages from my guy & Sub30 Club friends kept me going. I was supposed to pick my daughter up at the airport after the run, which was going to mean finishing and jumping in the car to get her. Luckily, my guy got her and I was ice bathed & showered when they got home.

Still. Feeling. Good.

For the first time ever, I follow a strict training plan that works and I feel confident & physically really good.

A few more runs and then it’s time to taper. Whoa! What a weird feeling. Our runs have become really short. As in, shorter than when we first started training. I have dinner after a run before 9:30pm. Weird!

My guy and ‘the water boys’ (his son and his sons best friend – both of whom are living with us right now- were our water stop on a 9 miler what feels like AGES ago), book rooms in Vancouver, WA for marathon weekend.

Portland Marathon recap coming up next…

Cheers!

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Author: silverhonore

I'm a mom, wife, runner, knitter, reader and procrastinator. I am fairly fluent in sarcasm, which has gotten me into trouble now and then. I enjoy writing (rambling on, as I'm often reminded), even though I'm most often the only one interested in reading what I have to say. So, to satisfy the writing bug and my latest addiction (running), I've created this for me. My own little universe, where I can blabber on about all the geeky running stuff that I like, goofy photos no one wants to scroll past, and now and then talk about what's happening in my universe in general. If you are reading this, feel free to comment - as long as you're mostly polite, constructive or best of all, just have something nice to say. Cheers!
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